Machine for helically winding material about a flexible tube



y 9, 1968 M. OSTERMANN 3,39

MACHINE FOR HELICALLY WINDING MATERIAL ABOUT A FLEXIBLE TUBE Filed Nov. 4, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 llll ll llllljllll avnwro a h a 0 slum Ma July 9, 1968 M. OSTERMANN 3,

MACHINE FOR HELIC ALLY WINDING MATERIAL ABOUT A FLEXIBLE TUBE Filed Nov. 4, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J {3 8 INVENTOR EN film M01! x 6 7W July 9, 1968 MLOSTERMANN MACX'IINE FOR HELICALLY WINDING MATERIAL ABOUT A FLEXIBLE TUBE Filed Nov. "4, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 lNVENTOR "lax Qgfarmmd July 9, 1968 M. OSTERMANN MACHINE FOR HELICALLY WINDING MATERIAL ABOUT A FLEXIBLE TUBE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 4, 1964 m T N E v W Max ilcrn -m United States Patent 3,391,525 MACHINE FOR HELICALLY WINDING MATERIAL ABOUT A FLEXIBLE TUBE Max Ostermann, Wuppertal-Barmen, Germany, assignor to W. & M. Ostermann, Wuppertal-Barmen, Germany Filed Nov. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 408,786 Claims priority, application9G9ermany, Jan. 25, 1964,

11 Claims. c1. 57-9 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a machine for helically winding permanently deformed wires, bands or the like of spring steel around flexible tubes, particularly suction tubes, by which the winding material is Wound, for example, around an injection-moulded rubber core and an interpositioned textile or Wire netting by means of a draw member non-rotatably guiding the flexible tube to be armoured and with a rotatable member for winding the winding material around the flexible tube.

The object of the present invention is to further improve machines of this type and this object is achieved according to the invention substantially in that a plurality of guides are arranged and distributed over a spiral path on the rotatable member. The winding material, particularly the spring steel wire, then is fed already as a spiral from the drum in the winding direction to the deforming point and in a simple and secure manner results in a support for suction tubes, especially of wire having a large diameter.

According to further features of the invention, the retatable member is provided in the form of a cylindrical carrier for the guides which is closed at least on one side, the rollers of the guides being supported in brackets which are adjustable. Expediently the brackets are secured at three points to the inner wall of the cylinder and a detachable cover closing the cylinder and making the drum accessible to the winding material.

Advantageously, the rotatable member receives the drum which in a known manner is arranged coaxially with the winding axis and can be braked relative to the rotatable member. Braking may be effected by means of a band, a disc and shoe or the like adjustably fastened to the rotatable member so that merely the relative speed between the drum and the rotating member need be decelerated and compensated. This is particularly important when the drum has a heavy weight.

Conveniently, especially the guides adjacent the winding point are arranged on a plate secured to the end face of the carrier. The means serving for deformation may be arranged so as to be pivotable and/or shiftable transversely of the winding axis.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanyin g drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a machine according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through the winding apparatus of the machine of FIG. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale and incorporating a different tube guide;

3,391,525 Patented July 9, 1968 FIG. 3 is an end view of the winding apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the braking device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a guide plate shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line VI--VI of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section through a guide, and

FIG. 8 is an end view of the tube guide of FIG. 2, seen in the direction of the arrow.

The machine illustrated in the drawings serves for armouring flexible suction tubes with permanently deformed spring steel wires having a relatively large diameter, for example of 3 mm.

FIG. 1 shows a flexible tube 5 and a horizontal winding machine 6 having a split base plate 7 on which a Winding apparatus 8 and a caterpillar type draw-off device 9 are arranged behind one another, as seen in the direction of the arrow on the drawing. The winding apparatus 8 has an associated upright 10 provided with a tube guide 11 and a transmission gear for the Winding apparatus 8. The flexible tube '5 is guided over a roller 12 suspended from a bracket 13 so as to be adjustable relative to the flexible tube 5 and thus permitting guidance of tubes having different diameters. From a centrically mounted drum 16 (FIG. 2) serving s a source of wire 15, the wire is drawn off in the form of a single strand and before being wound around the tube 5 it is deformed in a manner to be described in detail hereinafter. The winding apparatus 8 includes a support 17 ('FIG. 2) for the drum 16, a driving member 18 and a carrier 19 for a plurality of guides, and together with the draw-off device 9 is driven by a motor 20 (FIG. 1) driving through V-belts 21 a shaft 22 coupled with the winding apparatus 8 and the draw-off device 9 through respective variable speed gears 23. Each clutch can be disengaged by means of a lever 24.

The draw-off device 9 is of known construction and adapted to be driven by a vertical shaft 25 and includes two cooperating caterpillars 26 adjustable by means of a handwheel 27 and associated with pressing elements 2 8 that can be pressed against the flexible tube 5-. The associated mandrel can be inserted into the Winding apparatus 8 in the direction of the arrow and can be coupled with a second mandrel onto which the inner rubber layer for the tube 5 is applied. For guiding the mandrel and the tube 5, an extension arm 2-9 having guide pins '30 and a roller 31 is provided and secured to a stationary casing 33 of the draw-off device 9.

Due to the large diameter of the wire, the drum 16 has a considerable weight and consequently requires relatively great brake forces which produce the counter forces for the deforming work done by the mandrel. Deformation is effected, as will be seen from FIG. 3, by drawing over a guide or deforming means 34 adjacent the winding point. On its way to the tube 5, the wire 15 reaches the winding point on a spiral path and is deformed so that it can engage to a greater or lesser degree the rubber surface of the tube.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tube 5 is arranged in a bearing bushing 36 which mounts ball bearings 40 for the driving member 13 and, at its free end, needle roller bearings 40' for the support 17 of the drum 16. The drum 16 is pushed endwise on to the support 17 which is provided with a flange 41 having a driving pin 42 for the drum 16. The flange 41 has a braking surface 43 for two shoes 44 (FIG. 4) which are supported by a pair of arms 45 rotatable at one end about a pivot 46 and connected at the other end by means of a screw 47 which through a window 48 in the cylindrical carrier 19 0 is accessible for further guides 50. The guides 50 are =3 the inner wall of the supporting member 19 and to a cover 53 closing one end of the cylinder, the other end of which is detachably connected with an annular cover 54 which carries the pivot 46 and is fixed on a flange 55 of the driving member 18.

On the periphery of the carrier 19 the guides 50 are fixed and distributed over a spiral path which starts about in the center above the drum and terminates in the guide 34 so that the developed projection of all guides make a straight line directed towards the winding point and inclined in the direction of the angle at which the wire is wound on the tube 5. This winding angle, consequently, depends not only on the linear speed of the tube and on the angular velocity between tube and guide means but also on the angle at which the Wire is fed relative to the axis and forms a relatively flat spiral.

The guide 34- consists of a bolt 35 (FIG. having differently rounded edges 37 and, together with a guide 57, is rotatable and tangentially displaceable relative to the tube in slots 38 and 60 provided in a plate 58 which is mounted at one end for pivotal movement about a bolt 59 and guided at the other end on a screw 61 extending through the slot 60 in the plate 58. The bolt 59 and the pin 61 are mounted on spokes 62 defined by recesses 63 in the cover 5?). Arranged in front of the guides 34 and 57 are further guides 64 and 64 which are fixed on the plate 58 and on a plate 65, respectively. The plate 65 is screwed to the inside of the same spoke that carries the bolt 59 on its outside. At its base, the plate 65 is bent (FIG. 6) and thus gives to a pair of guides 64 the same inclination, viz. of about that have the guides 50.

At its base, each bearing bracket 51 is fixed through three talons 66 by means of a screw 67 which permits adjustment by rotation and considerably facilitates assembly. The bearing brackets 51 are fixed at about the same distances from one another. The guides 34 and 64 can be adapted to different tube diameters by swinging the plate 58. The permanent deformation can be varied by turning the bolt 35 and shifting the guides 34 and 64 in the plate 58. The guide 57 has a setscrew 69 which is supported on a slide 68 and provided with lock nuts 70, as can be seen from FIG. 7. Together with the spokes 62, the cover 53 forms a hub 71 which is connected with a bearing bushing 73 in bayonet fashion by means of a snap pin 72 and facilitates removal of the cover when the drum is to be pulled off. The bayonet joint in the bushing 73 can be produced by milling.

In FIGS. 2 and 8, the tube guide is provided by a bracket 74 having three rollers 75 which are adjustable relative to the tube 5. Each roller 75 is rotatable about an inwardly directed arm 76 of a bent double-armed lever 77 which is mounted on a disc 79 provided with a central opening 78. With its stepped periphery, the disc 79 is supported between two rings 80 and 81 and connected by three screws 82 which are tightened by hand levers 83. The ring 80 carries three pins 84 for guiding an outwardly directed lever arm 85 in an elongated hole 86. The rollers can be adjusted by rotating the rings 86 and 81. The disc 79 is kept stationary by means of two rods 87.

The driving member 18 is provided with a gear ring 88 which is in meshing engagement with a pinion 89 and in operation, the support of the guides is rotated together with the wire in the direction indicated by arrow 90 (FIG. 3). At the same time, the mandrel with the rubber core is pulled by the draw-off device 9 in the direction indicated by arrows in FIGS. 1 and 2. Due to the pull, the wire 15 rotates the drum 16 in the direction of the arrow 90 in FIG. 3. The wire 15 is drawn off the drum 16 over the rollers 52, deformed in the same direction according to the adjustment of the guide 34 by being drawn over an edge 37 and helically wound on the rubber core. The initial tension of the wire 15 is adjustable by means of the brake which brakes the drum 16 relative to the driving member 18. The whole arrangement delivers in a continuous process a plurality of wire layers with the interposition of a known netting.

As already mentioned, the figures oi the drawing only show an exemplified embodiment of the invention and the latter is not limited to this embodiment; rather, various other constructions and applications are possible. Instead of the wires also bands can be used which overlap each other and at the same time interlock. Interlocking can also be effected in press button fashion by bending the edges or the like.

The bracket 13 serving as a tube guide can also be replaced by the bracket 74. It is even possible to dispense with a mandrel or to use a flexible mandrel either of rubber or plastic and having a small bore in its center. When being pulled out, this thick-walled flexible tube decreases in diameter at the cost of the internal bore and is extensible to such an extent that it can be pulled out without difliculty.

I claim:

1. A machine for producing armored hose comprising, in combination, support means; guide means mounted on said support means for guiding a hose in axial direction; moving means engaging said hose for moving the same in said direction while preventing said hose from turning about its axis; a drum turnably mounted on said support means and carrying an elongated flexible metal element wound thereon; rotatable means mounted on said support means turnably about a turning axis coinciding with said axis of said hose; drive means connected to said drum and to said rotatable means for turning the same in one direction about said turning axis while permitting said drum to slip relative to said rotatable means; a plurality of guide members mounted spaced from each other on said rotatable means substantially along a spiral extending about said turning axis and having an inner end adjacent said turning axis and an outer end spaced further from said turning axis than said inner end for guiding the elongated flexible element along the spiral and without reversing its direction from said drum onto the outer surface of said hose; and deforming means mounted on said rotatable means adjacent said turning axis for imparting a permanent deformation to said elongated flexible element before it is applied to said hose, so that during turning of said turnable means in said one direction about said turning axis said elongated flexible element is wound in said one direction in a spiral onto said hose while the latter is moved by said moving means in axial direction.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotatable means comprises a hollow cylindrical member closed at one end, said guide means extending with a portion thereof through said closed end of said cylindrical member, and said guide members comprising a plurality of rollers turnably mounted on adjustable brackets in said cylindrical member.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said brackets are mounted on said cylindrical member respectively adjustable about axes substantially normal to said turning axis.

4. A machine as defined in claim 1, and including a plate carrying said deforming means, said plate being mounted on said rotatable means tiltably adjustable about a tilting axis substantially parallel to said turning axis for adjusting the position of said deforming means relative to said turning axis, and means for locking said plate in any adjusted position.

5. A machine as defined in claim 2, and including an additional plate mounted on said cylindrical member extending transverse to said turning axis and carrying at least one of said guide members adjacent said turning axis.

6. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said guide means includes three guide rollers arranged angularly spaced from each other about said turning axis, and means mounting said rollers turnably about axes located in a. plane substantially normal to said turning axis and adjustable simultaneously and through equal distances toward and away from said turning axis.

7. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said rotatable means includes a hollow cylindrical member substantially closed at one end thereof and wherein said guide means includes a tube coaxial with said cylindrical member, and including a cover at the other end of said cylindrical member, said cover being formed with an opening coaxial with said tube, a rotatable bearing bushing coaxially mounted on said tube in the region of said other end of said cylindrical member, and means releasably connecting said cover to said bearing bushing.

8. A machine as defined in claim 7, and including plate means mounted on said cover and carrying the guide members closest to said turning axis and said deforming means.

9. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive means comprises a driving member turnable about said turning axis and including means fixedly connecting said rotatable means to said driving member for rotation therewith, and brake means interposed between said driving member and said drum so that the latter is driven by said driving member while being permitted to slip relative to said rotatable means.

10. A machine as defined in claim 9, wherein said drum is arranged coaxially with said turning axis.

11. A machine as defined in claim 9, wherein said brake means is adjustable so as to adjust the tension at which said elongated flexible element is wound on said hose.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,048,894 7/1936 Rosch et a1. 575 XR 2,253,740 8/ 1941 Van Hook 57-18 2,449,834 9/ 1948 Bechle et al 57-18 3,130,534 4/ 1964 Ostermann 57-9 3,236,039 2/ 1966 Fletcher et al. 57-18 BILLY S. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner. 

